Today In Disney History ~ March 16th

“This short, which technically was not listed as part of the True-Life Adventures series, but has the look and feel of those shorts and features, was nominated for an Academy Award and was extremely well shot. because I want to cover this in some detail, this is a spoiler warning: This short covers some of the wildlife (predominantly birds) on four islands-the Galapagos, Guadelupe, Falklands and an island in the Midway chain. While touching very briefly on the turtles of Galapagos and a bit more in-depth on two varieties of iguana and a species of crab, the documentary focuses primarily on birds, including several species of penguin on at least two of the islands, cormorants, frigate birds and the albatross.I found the sections on the various penguins fascinating, because penguins are typically thought of as belonging to colder climates than you would find around the Galapagos or the Falklands. There’s just something about penguins that interests me, I guess. There’s at least one moment of tragedy shown, which is to be expected in one of these Disney releases.For anyone who’s seen many of the Disney wildlife productions, the usual flourishes are here-they show albatrosses, which are also known as goony birds, trying to land after a flight and mainly crashing. They also show a few aborted takeoffs, adding sound effects (screeching brakes) at least once, presumably for comic effect.The thing about these shorts is that, even after the passage of decades (more than 45 years in this case) the quality of the camera-work is still exceptional and can hold its own. Say what you like about Disney, but they did excellent work from a technical standpoint and were clearly ahead of the curve-which is understandable, as they were frequently creating the technology which pushed the curve forward.This short can be found on Volume 2 of the True-Life Adventures DVD sets issued under the Disney Legacy label and the DVDs are most absolutely recommended.”

Michele Atwood is the Owner/Editor of The Main Street Mouse and it’s subsidiaries and author of the book “Moving to Main Street U.S.A.” Michele also contributes Disney news to the Joe Kelley Morning Show on 96.5 WDBO in Orlando. She and her family made the move from Michigan to the Orlando area to pursue their Disney dreams. Michele is a life long Disney fan, and has two sons who have followed suit, each going on their first Disney trip before their first birthday’s. Part of the goal Michele has for The Main Street Mouse is not only to keep members informed, but to create somewhat of a Disney Family by relating to others through personal experiences and opinions. Also, Michele is making it a priority to share stories of inspiration and hope to other Disney Fans in an effort to share the Magic and hopefully make a difference in the lives of others.